By BOB FREEMAN – Paint Monk’s Library Writer

There seems to be a real disconnect between the old guard Conan fans, particularly those of us who are Howard obsessive, and the younger creators and collectors. We Howard purists have always had issues whenever the Cimmerian has been depicted out of character or when things fail to line up properly with the Hyborian Age as writ by Cross Plains
favorite son.

Robert E. Howard created a world that was visceral, that felt real at its core, and that attention to detail made Conan and those who inhabited the Hyborian Kingdoms seem like authentic, historical figures.

For these younger fans, who have entered into a fandom already diluted by unfaithful movies, cartoons, tv series, comics, and pastiches, see Conan as just another intellectual property where anything goes.

For those of us who were there before any of that, when the most we had to concern ourselves with was L. Sprague DeCamp’s meddling and the odd misfire by Roy Thomas, well, these modern takes on the Cimmerian are a hard pill to swallow.

A hard pill to swallow indeed.

Synopsis: Conan the Barbarian #4 (2019)

King Conan of Aquilonia reflects on his climb to power and of the mind-numbing banality of holding court. He becomes ill, but shuns his healers, praying for an invading army to lift his spirits. Seeking a more primal cure for his ills, he engages a caged lion, challenging it to a fight.

The lion, however, sensing his own kind in the Cimmerian, befriends the king instead. They become inseperable. The King then decides on a plan to scratch his adventuring itch: donning a skull mask, Conan and his lion prowl the streets of Aquilonia, killing criminals and cutthroats like a Hyborian age Batman and Robin until eventually the king returns the lion to the jungles of Koth.

CAPSULE REVIEW: First things first, right out of the gate. It’s King Numedides, not Namedides. Where are the editors on this book?

I’m just going to say it: I hated this book with a passion. The lone saving grace was Gerardo Zaffino’s artwork, which was more inline with what we’re seeing over on Savage Sword. It’s got energy, and while it’s not what I would consider my preferred style of draughtsmanship, it captures the spirit this comic needs.

Unfortunately, Jason Aaron’s tale is proposterous. Conan as a masked crime fighter? King by day, Batman by night? It is an unfortunate premise and does not bode well for the series as a whole.

On a scale of 1-10 skulls of my enemies, I would rate this issue worthy of a 5, solely for the artwork.

Alba Gu Brath – Bob Freeman (aka The Occult Detective)